Museum InfoMedia Room

July at the Detroit Institute of Arts - Summer Camps, Art-making and More

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

(Detroit)—July brings lots of activities to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), including art-making drop-in workshops, summer camps and puppet shows. The exhibition Shirin Neshat ends July 7 and Ellsworth Kelly: Prints is on view through Sept. 8; both are free with museum admission.

Detroit City Chess Club: Fridays, 4–8 p.m.The club’s mission is to teach area students the game and life lessons. Members have won state, regional and national competitions. People wanting to learn how to play chess should show up between 4 and 6 p.m. There will be no teaching between 6 and 8 p.m., but visitors can play chess.

Drop-In Workshops (for all ages)Tuesday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Chinese Slat Books: Slat books were the first kind of book made in China. Make your own simple version of this ancient book form.Wednesday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Refrigerator MagnetsThursday, 11a.m.–3 p.m., MobilesFridays, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Paper FlowersFridays, 6–9 p.m., Uchiwa Fans: Uchiwa is a style of paper fan common in Japan. Learn about the tradition of making Uchiwa as you create a fan of your own. Saturdays, Noon–4 p.m., Aztec Books: Aztec scribes or writers used fold-out picture books to record history, calendars, gods and daily life in their long-ago Mexican communities. Learn more and make one of your own.Sundays, Noon–4 p.m., Dream Catchers: The Chippewa and other Native Americans believe good and bad dreams float through the night. Hold on to your nighttime imaginings with a dream catcher made from a wooden hoop, suitable to hang above a bed.

Friday Night Live, July 5Music: Feufollet: 7 & 8:30 p.m.Feufollet is a band deeply rooted in the francophone soil of Louisiana. The quintet performs music from their latest recording, En Couleurs, which features original compositions that draw on Cajun experience, tempered by contemporary life.

Family Sunday, July 7Sunday Music Bar: No Concert

Family Program: Family Yoga (ages 5–11, with an adult): 2 p.m.Teachers from Yoga Shelter Midtown lead a playful and educational program of yoga poses designed to strengthen bonds and create togetherness while learning about the Hindu gods and goddesses on display in the Asian art gallery. Space is limited and is first-come, first served. Participants please join us on the DIA South Lawn and bring one yoga mat or bath towel per person.

Friday Night Live, July 12Music: Tarana: 7 & 8:30 p.m.Tarana is a trio that blurs the boundaries between electronic and acoustic styles, while blending influences ranging from disco to Bollywood. Using digital and analog electronics, Tarana layers live loops on top of their acoustic instruments to create a symphonic sound that explores rhythms from across the world.

Saturday, July 13Class: The Potter’s Wheel for Adults and Children (ages 5 and older with adult): 10–11:30 a.m., 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m., 1–2:30 p.m. and 2–3:30 p.m.Absolute beginners of any age can try the potter’s wheel in this small class with plenty of individual guidance. Participants have one hour of hands-on clay time, with extra time for decorating. Projects will be fired for pick-up at a later date. Each class is limited to six students. Cost: Members $18, Nonmembers $24. To register, call 313-833-4005.

Family Performance: The Cinderella Files: 2 p.m.Madcap Puppets takes a look at what happens when Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother takes a vacation and it’s up to her husband Ralph, the Fairy Godfather, to get Cinderella to the ball. For ages 5–12.

Summer CampsThe DIA offers kids an innovative studio art program in a museum filled with great art. Campers will spend five action-packed art-making sessions exploring infinite possibilities while working with a variety of materials. Clay, painting, printmaking and wood sculpture will be incorporated into various projects as students work in a learner-centered environment. Kids will also exercise skills in interpreting art while exploring the galleries. On the last day of camp, there will be an art show for family and friends. Camp size limited to 20 people. Cost: Members $180, nonmembers $225. Pre-registration and pre-payment required. To register, call 313-833-4005.

Friday Night Live, July 19Music: Trio Feral: 7 & 8:30 p.m.Trio Feral features three of the most in-demand, forward-thinking musicians in New York. Barney McCall (keyboards), Bill Campbell (drums) and Jonathan Maron (bass) use an array of sounds and noises to create their own musical world.

Saturday, July 20Meet Me at the DIA: A Program for People with Early-Stage Dementia and Their Caregivers: 10:30 a.m.–noonPeople with early-stage dementia (including Alzheimer’s) and their caregivers are invited to participate in gallery discussions about art led by DIA staff and volunteers with expertise in this area. Participants are made to feel welcome and comfortable, and discussions are based on the observations and connections made by the group. The program provides opportunities for social engagement and intellectual stimulation in a safe, inspiring environment. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to the discussions; participants leave the DIA with small prints of DIA artworks so conversations can be continued. Meet Me at the DIA is modeled after a successful program at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Free with museum admission. To register visit www.tickets.dia.org or call 313-833-4005. Sponsored by HealthPlus of Michigan

Family Sunday, July 21Sunday Music Bar: Ara Topouzian: 1 & 3 p.m.Multi-instrumentalist Ara Topouzian performs music from his recordings of Armenian and Middle Eastern music on the kanun, a laptop harp. Topouzian will appear with his quartet.

Friday Night Live, July 26Class: Hand-Building for Beginners (ages five and older with an adult): 6–7:30 p.m.Look at the various clay pots and bowls in the galleries for inspiration, then come to the art studio to learn simple ways of making them. Projects will be fired for pickup at a later date. Class size limited to 16 students. Cost: Members $18, Nonmembers $24. To register, call 313.833.4005.

Music: Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line: 7 & 8:30 p.m.Nashville star Nora Jane Struthers draws from traditions of bluegrass, gospel and Celtic music. Struthers and her band will perform music from their new recording, Carnival!

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range, and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.

Programs are made possible with support from the City of Detroit and residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.